Business

If you own a business — whether it is large or small — one of the key things that you probably strive to do is to attract and keep quality clients or customers. While things such as great customer service, quality merchandise and an honest and open attitude go a long way in keeping your clients coming back, attracting them in the first place can be problematic. Let’s face it — in today’s market, your customer has a lot of choices available. So how do you convince them to give you a shot? Here are a few creative suggestions for attracting some new clients.

Suggestion # 1: A Random Act of Kindness

OK — truth be told, reaching out and helping a potential client with a problem that they have, and you can fix, is not a new idea. Business gurus and experts have been touting the value-centered and customer-centered practices for quite some time. The reason is because it works. People can forget who you are, or what you say, but they rarely forget what you did, so make the memory a good one. For example, if you own a bakery, and you find out that one of your elderly neighbors hasn’t had a chance to go out to the store, bring them a selection of your famous bread or muffins and have a small snack with them. Or if you own a laundromat, offer to do a few loads of laundry for free for that frantic mother with four kids. Those random acts of kindness will be remembered, and talked about.

Suggestion # 2: Take a Genuine Interest in the People Around You

We all like to feel special. Your potential customer is no different. If you want to attract and keep a potential client, it is a good idea to find out more about them, and listen to them carefully when they describe what they need or want from a business or company. Do not listen just enough to make a sale. Really listen to your customer. By doing so, you might be able to discover ways that you can help them that you didn’t even realize. For example, a potential client of mine was frantic with worry because he was afraid that he couldn’t get his web content up and edited in time. However, the real problem was that he had so many writers contributing to his website, that managing all of them, plus editing was eating up too much of his time. By actively listening and building up a relationship with him, I was able to determine the best way that I could help him — by managing the contributors to his website — which left him more time to be creative and grow his own business.

Suggestion # 3: Don’t Neglect Tradition

The internet and social media have certainly made an impact on the world of marketing, and no business owner worth their salt should neglect these avenues for reaching out to new clients. However, that does not mean the most traditional ways of reaching out to new customers can’t be as effective. Practices such as newspaper ads, direct mail, billboards and radio or television advertising can sometimes reach more and different quality customers than you can through the internet. Plus, more traditional methods of advertising allow you to focus more on your direct, local market.

Suggestion # 4: Become a Patron

Another great way to increase the exposure of your business to the potential customer — and attract them — is to support and take part in what they care about. If your town has a local arts or crafts festival, or a little league, or some other community activity, consider taking part or helping out. Although becoming a sponsor is certainly an option, it’s not the only one. Perhaps something that your business already does can help make the event that more special? For example, I once worked with a local copy shop that provided free flyers for the local children’s library whenever they had an event — and took the time to post them around town for them. Word got around about what they were doing (I told a few people myself) and the number of potential customers that they had the next month increased greatly.

What other suggestions do you have? How have you attracted your best customers? Share your suggestions below!

The new year has started, and like always, you’re working your hardest to make your business grow and thrive in 2016. You’ve become an expert at doing things the old way, and truth be told, some of those techniques are still viable options. Others, however, might not be a good fit this time around. If you’re looking for a solid, dependable way to grow your business in the new year, consider the tips below.

Tip # 1: Socialize within your industry

If you’re surprised that rubbing elbows with your possible competitors can lead to new business opportunities, you shouldn’t be. While the idea of being fiercely competitive is still out there, more and more business-savvy people are realizing that one business can’t do it all. Sometimes it’s better to partner up on projects with others in your network and cooperate to bring the client exactly what they need. Another way that networking within your industry can help is through learning more about the market. Seeing what other businesses can’t or won’t offer is a fantastic way to find avenues of growth for your own company.

Tip # 2: Get rid of the dead weight

This tip might sound a bit harsh, but there is a great deal of truth to it. Everyone has those people in their lives that do nothing but mooch off your energy, time and hard work. While everyone should have a chance to make it in the business world, some people demand entirely too many. Think of it this way — if you’re drowning, and you have heavy weights tied to you, wouldn’t you untie them and swim to the surface?

Tip # 3: Listen

This simple word becomes a very powerful tip when you sit down and think about it. We always say that we listen to the customer, but do we really? Also, there are other things and people that we should listen to as well — our employees, our co-workers, heck, even our competitors. Taking the time to truly listen to the world around you provides you with more insight, more ideas for strategy and sometimes an early jump on what will become the latest trend.

Tip # 4: Reconsider your marketing

There is a great deal of advice out there about marketing. Most of the options presented are pretty viable, too. But is what’s right for Acme Painting right for your company? Maybe not. If you want to grow your business, you have to be able to sustain it over the long term. Take the time to tailor your marketing strategy to your strengths, your audience and your business. This makes your marketing that much more effective, and memorable.

Tip # 5: Keep up to date with your technology

While I do believe that it’s unnecessary to invest time and money into every new gadget or gizmo that comes to your direction, it does pay to keep up to date on new technology. By understanding what is available, you can decide what is best for your business and what you envision for the future. Don’t be afraid of the latest thing, but don’t worship it either. Consider each new thing that comes out, and consider whether or not it can save you time, energy and money, or can boost morale. If it can do any of those things for you on a consistent basis, it is worth considering.

Tip # 6: Don’t be afraid to encourage the sale

I’m not sure why, but so many business owners seem hesitant to encourage the sale or acceptance of the proposal. While being pushy is never a good option, being enthusiastic and encouraging a potential client to take a chance on you is a great one. Be friendly and polite, but don’t be afraid of reaching out to a hesitant potential new client and giving them a helping hand to your doorstep.

In the United States, tax season is fast approaching. However, for most small businesses, the idea of dealing with taxes is a year-long marathon. Whether you’re new to the race or a veteran, a small business owner can always use new insights and new ideas on how to prepare for the middle of April. As a fellow small business owner, here are a few of my favorite tax tips for small business owners.

Tip # 1: Know the Difference between an “employee” and “independent contractor”

If your business is going well, chances are you’ve hired on some extra help. The type of help — either employees or independent contractors — has a significant impact on what you do at tax time. Make sure that you know the difference, both legally and ethically speaking. Also, make sure your records are accurate in this regard. If your business is ever audited, this will be important information indeed.

Tip # 2: Invest in a good tax software program or a qualified CPA

I really can’t stress this enough. Business taxes are complicated, to say the least. Often the free tax software programs geared toward the individual tax filer simply won’t cut it. Yes, it will cost you initially, but in the long run taking your business taxes to a qualified professional or using a good professional software program will save you thousands of dollars, if not more.

Tip # 3: Don’t Rob Peter to Pay Paul

It can be tempting to move money from the employee tax funds (you do have funds set aside for employee taxes, right?) to pay for emergency expenses, but I would advise against it. Trust me, this is one of the areas where the government is quite stringent, and they will discipline you quite harshly if they feel the need. Also, if you’re having trouble paying your taxes, there are options available such as deferred payments, or payment plans.

Tip # 4: File, even if you can’t pay right away.

While I haven’t made this mistake, a few of my other fellow business owners have, and the results have been disastrous. Here’s the thing. Just because you ignore a problem, that doesn’t mean it will go away. In fact, in the case of business taxes, the problem will only get worse. By filing, even if you can’t pay right away, you provide the IRS with an easy way to keep track of how much you owe in back taxes. If you don’t, they’ll take the time to put together your own tax return, and chances are they won’t use as many deductions or be as forgiving as you will.

Tip # 5: Keep Your Records for at Least 3 Years

Personally, I keep accounting records for seven years before I purge, but the minimum you should keep them is for three years. That way if your accountant or the IRS needs to verify records or information, you will have it available.

What other tax tips for a business can you think of? What are some of your favorites that I missed? Comment below!

The new year has arrived, and how do you expect 2016 to be? If you’re a business owner, chances are you want your business to grow in every aspect of the word — grow in return and new customers, expand your inventory, even increase your bottom line. If you’re searching for ways to do any or all of these things, here are five ways that you can help grow your business, and have an even better 2016.

Encourage A Healthy Workplace

One of the easiest and in the long term the most effective ways to improve your business is to help you and your employees maintain a healthy workplace. After all, why would a potential customer want to walk into your store if it sounds like an urgent-care clinic? Encouraging your employees to wash their hands after going to the bathroom, providing healthy snacks in the break room, making sure the filters on your HVAC system are up to date and not penalizing for taking of sick days are all ways that you can help keep things healthy—and more productive at your place of business.

Brush Up on Your Customer Service Skills

When it comes to your business, you know the ropes. However, even if you’re one of the best in the business when it comes to customer service, there is always room for improvement. So the next time you have a company-wide meeting, talk to your employees about their experiences working with clients, and their thoughts on how things can be improved. Also, make sure that you and your employees have the confidence to be honest, positive and trustworthy when it comes to your brand and company. Doing so takes knowledge and experience, so don’t be afraid to offer regular training on what you are selling, and the reason behind what you do.

Get Organized

As any business owner knows, the end of the year is usually one huge chaotic mess. Between tax filings, holiday sales, employee turnover and just general craziness, chances are your files are a bit unorganized. Why not do a little bit of housekeeping and get everything organized in preparation for the onslaught of new business coming your way? Take a weekend and get rid of files you no longer need, old stock that you can’t sell, and set up an easy-to-use system to keep your inventory, records and sales promotions on track. Trust me, taking a little bit of time to do this now will make things so much easier when business starts booming!

Make Networking a Priority

Believe it or not, keeping in touch with people in your line of business can be a fantastic way to increase your own footprint on the business world. While competition is still a hallmark, more and more businesses are realizing that growth through cooperation and mutual support can be a lot more effective than a cutthroat business mentality. Take a little time to think about it. There are certain things that your business excels in, correct? Well, chances are there are areas that other companies excel in as well. Why not network and find out what everyone’s strengths are? That way you can make sure that your customer gets exactly what they need from the best resources. Even if it’s not your business this time around, chances are the business that you referred to and the customer will return the favor in the long run.

Don’t Forget the Big Picture

When you’re in the day-to-day grind, it can be easy to forget the passion you had when you started your business. Things such as payroll, dealing with irate customers, the weather, even cleaning the sidewalk in front of your store can add to your frustration. That frustration can lead to less-than-stellar customer service, or treating your employees worse than you should. Take a few minutes, at the beginning of your day and at the end of your day and recall the reasons that you started on this journey. What stirs your passion about what you do? Is it the smiles you see as customers walk in your door? Is it the pride in a project finished to perfection? Is it the ability to be your own boss? The idea of helping others? Whatever drives you, take some time to remember.

You’ve been a business owner for a while now. You’ve got a system down, and things appear to be going relatively smoothly. However, something keeps gnawing at the back of your mind. Something seems to be missing when it comes to your business routine. While it may be the caused by the normal misgivings and ups and downs that any business owner experiences, it never hurts to take some time to evaluate the situation at hand. Here are four signs that your business might be due for a change.

Growth has slowed to a crawl… again

As a business owner, you know that there will be slow times and times of significant growth. Some weeks you are so busy that your head is spinning while other times the days seem to crawl. However, if you start noticing more slow days than hectic days on a regular basis, your business plan may be due for an overhaul. Take some time to reevaluate what you want to accomplish, and what would be the best way to go about it. Take a look at your competition; see what you think they are doing right, and what could be improved in their system. Remember, don’t be afraid of new ideas — just because you’ve always done something a certain way doesn’t mean there may not be a better alternative.

Company morale is lower than you expect

Like it or not, your employees are the lifeblood of your business. If their morale is not positive, that will most likely translate into poor business success. Talk with your workers, and really listen to what they have to say. If they seem less than enthusiastic about working for your company, don’t dismiss their complaints or misgivings lightly. Consider the reasons. Could the once-vibrant, friendly company have lost its way? It’s a good possibility. Luckily, your employees may be able to offer you advice on how to make the most of the changes that may be happening.

Customers aren’t returning

The amount of customers you have will always ebb and flow during your company’s lifetime. That’s just the nature of the business. You won’t ever have 100 percent customer retention — although that would be a nice goal to strive for. However, if you find your customer retention is lagging behind your most conservative projections by a serious amount, a serious revamp of the company may be in order. Are you offering something that the public is interested in buying? Is your customer service lacking in some way? Is your grasp of technology where it should be?

Your services or products have changed

Chances are your business has changed or expanded over time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with expanding your business as you need to in order to satisfy the customer’s needs. However, if you see your services or products going in a completely different direction than you originally envisioned, it may be time to re-evaluate your business plans.

Take a quick look around you, and chances are you’ll find some manner of electronic devices or components. From the alarm clock that wakes you up in the morning to the smartphone that you carry with you during your day, these devices have permeated our lives like very few things have. Just look in any window or on any street corner. Chances are you’ll see something beeping and whirring, flashing or otherwise making their presence known.

Although electronic devices seem to be everywhere in today’s society, the devices and components don’t stay around forever. Over time, things get broken, or the need for upgrades becomes apparent. It really is the nature of things now. So what do you do when your own devices are ready to be replaced? Well, you really have two choices. You could throw them away, or recycle them. While simply tossing them in the trash may seem like the easiest and best solution, it’s not — by a long shot. Here are just a few reasons why recycling your electronics is the best way to go.

Electronic components can be hazardous. Many components that make up your electronic device contain metals, chemicals and other substances that are actually hazardous to you and the environment. While they’re in use, it’s really not that much of an issue. However, when they are thrown away, the devices get damaged, break down and leak the various chemicals into the environment. Taking your devices to a designated recycling center, however, can help to prevent that from happening.

In some areas it can be illegal to do so. While most places in Ohio don’t have an electronic waste recycling program, other communities and other states do. Unless you know for sure, why risk it?

It can affect the water supply. For those places where the electronic waste ends up, the various hazardous chemicals can not only leach into the soil but the groundwater as well, contaminating vital sources of drinking water for the community.

Space is limited. Believe it or not, the planet Earth is starting to run out of space to put all our leftover junk — electronic junk included. The popular adage of “Reduce, Recycle and Reuse” was started to remind people of this fact and encourage them to think more critically about what they do with the things they use.

Someone could steal your identity. Like it or not, in this computer age, much of your identity as it relates to the world is stored on your computer, your laptop or your cell phone. Opportunistic people can, and often do, gain your personal information off the electronic devices that you throw away. While recycling won’t prevent that from happening (it’s a good idea to wipe any and all data before disposal), it can make it harder for those people to gain access to the information.

So now that you know a few reasons why recycling your electronics is a good idea, here are a few places where you can do just that: